SPATIAL SEPARATION OF INFORMATION IN THE AIRCRAFT COMMUNICATION DEVICE
Abstract
The article presents some results of research aimed at the design of human-machine interfaces, taking into account the multimodal nature of human perception, for use in the on-board equipment of an aircraft. In particular, we are talking about the possibility of a wider use of audio channels for input and output of information. The advantages of sound interfaces in relation to visual and tactile ones are, first of all, in the absence of the need for directed attention of the pilot, in the ability to create auditory objects in three-dimensional space and indicate the direction to several different objects at the same time. In the experiments, the possibilities of spatial separation of speech information flows in an aircraft intercom in situations where the level of interference significantly exceeded the level of the target speech message were tested. The indicators of target message recognition were evaluated in the presence of two types of sound interference: the sound of another speech message and the noise of an aircraft engine. The results showed that spatial separation of audio messages significantly improves the operator’s ability to recognize their content, regardless of the type of interference. The maximum number of errors when recognizing a target message corresponds to its spatial position in the same direction as the noise of the interference. At the same time, message recognition is significantly better if it is pronounced in a female voice. The fact of spatial asymmetry of correct recognitions was also revealed: messages arriving from the right are recognized better than in cases of their arrival from the left. The practical significance of the research concerns the possibility of creating intercom with increased security against conflicts between different information flows, as well as against the impact of external acoustic noise. The prospect is seen in the use of three-dimensional audio interfaces not only as part of an intercom, but also for navigation and aircraft control systems, as well as monitoring its state.
